Poll: Is Dr. John's "Babylon" part of your collection?

I haven't heard the mono Babylon but it would seems to me that if the music company took the trouble to digitize and make it available in Hi-Res, it must be a dedicated mix surely, not a folddown?

Of course stranger and less logical things have happened...

 

I have a needledrop of the mono Gris-Gris, it is not a bad mix. It is interesting to hear the different approach.

 

I put down, no, but should get it. I've had a compilation, The Ultimate Dr. John, since '88 or so, Bluesiana Triangle (Dr. John, David Fathead Newman and Art Blakey - tracked that one down after hearing their great version of Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me on the local jazz station in the mid-'90s), and more recently picked up Gris-Gris and Locked Down, both of which I enjoy immensely. Been meaning to pick up more of his classic era stuff, but Right Place..., Gumbo, Desatively Bonaroo, and Remedies are all higher priorities than Babylon. That said, it sounds intriguing and I'll probably get around to it eventually, and would jump on it if I stumbled across a used copy at a good price.

 

The only Dr. John I have comes from his role in the epic "Polynesiantown":

 

I think this counts as subliminal advertising. I hope you're getting paid by threadview!

 

Lots of the latter day stuff is wonderful too-- I especially recommend Creole Moon if you're into his funkier side.
Really, he hasn't made a lot of duds-- "Hollywood Be Thy Name" is probably his weakest, but even that is fun. And the two 80s albums on A&M have some good songs, though they're uncharacteristically slick.

 

Thanks for the recommendation. I definitely lean more heavily toward his funkier side, but I like pretty much everything I've heard him do.

 

I'm checking the stereo HDTracks version of Babylon. There are some panning differences on a couple of numbers, and "The Patriotic Flag Waver" has a drum roll introduction (the "20th Century Fox" roll, to be more precise) which is not present on the two CD editions I have. I'm tempted by the mono version now!

 

And "Black Widow Spider" is almost a minute longer on the CD. This is getting confusing!

 

Weird. Different set of tapes probably. It would be col to compare with an original LP to see which version was originally released.

 

My feelings exactly

 

I like it. I still have my Atco vinyl album of it with that cool thick gatefold cover.

 

Yes , in a 5cd box

 

I love Dr. John and do have Babylon. Being a child of the '60's I don't mind the trippy stuff he did earlier in his career. As I've gotten older I much prefer his funkier New Orleans music - Gumbo and particularly Funky New Orleans. Definitely don't need drugs to get this one!

 

For years, Babylon has felt like one of his forgotten albums. Like the other pre-Gumbo albums, it's always lived in the shadow of Gris-Gris. First, I think people at the time most likely wanted a Gris-Gris Part II, and he never gave them that. That album was so unique that he couldn't, and probably wouldn't even if he could since Dr. John had always moved forward, side-to-side, upside-down, and every which way except straight backwards. And, in the case of Babylon, the songs are probably just as "out there" as the tunes on Gris-Gris, but they are less focused and more free-jazz influenced, so the wider music world never really grabbed onto it in the same way. You may not have known what you were listening to when putting Gris-Gris on for the first time, but by the end of it, you had some idea. You never really know which world you're inhabiting with Babylon. In some ways, this can make it an even more compelling listen when you're in the right mind-space.

So all these years, it's been glossed over...not available in the U.S. on CD until after the turn of the century, he never (or at the least, rarely) played any Babylon selections in concert, its tunes were practically never played on the radio (even WWOZ in New Orleans), no cover versions by other artists, etc. The only song off Babylon that made any of his compilations that I know of was Black Widow Spider.

So, I saw him in concert a few weeks back and he made me fall out of my seat by playing not 1, not 2, but 3 songs from Babylon, which was 2 more than from his current Satchmo tribute album. Babylon, Black Widow Spider, and most surprisingly of all to me, Lonesome Guitar Strangler were all played. He also threw in a few other rarities from the early, gris-gris years. Perhaps he's taken to heart the blossoming interest in his gris-gris music in the past few years by younger/jamband-ish music fans, especially after the success of Locked Down, and he's therefore making a concerted effort to appeal more to that crowd. Whatever the reason, it was a glorious thing to get to see those Babylon songs given such a showcase after it was practically buried for all those years.

To conclude on a small tangent, I long for the Lower 9-11 in many ways because that band was cracking, and Herman Ernest III passing too early was just tragic. He and Mac were very tight, so I guess it's natural that he would want a change shortly thereafter. His new band, The Nite Trippers (especially Sarah Morrow, the trombonist/music director), have gotten a lot of bad press in New Orleans since they have such huge shoes to fill, plus I think there is a general concern about the Dr.'s career being handled appropriately as he becomes older and more frail. However, this was the freshest I've heard the Dr. in years. Every band member stood out to give his music a new sound. His piano playing and singing were so lively that it felt like I was put through a time machine to the 1990s, when his live performances were possibly at their peak. Whether it's the setlist, the new band, or some combination things, I'm convinced that ultimately the change over was a good thing for his live shows. Those Lower 9-11 shoes were like stepping into an old shoe every time, where you knew the band was going to deliver and what they were going to sound like, but The Nite Tripper show I saw recently frankly had a bit more bite than I'd seen from a Dr. John performance in a long time.

 

Wow, that's amazing. I agree with you also that Babylon is unjustly overlooked. It's a strange album, but very interesting.
The Doc is of course a masterful performer of New Orleans music, trad jazz and standards, but I prefer the trippy, early stuff or when he goes outside his comfort zone, like on Locked Down.

 

All I have is the Mos' Scocious comp and Locked Down.

 

I don't have it, but I am not uninterested.

 

I've heard of Dr. John, but I don't know this album.

 

By far Gris-gris and Babylon are my two favorite Dr. John records. I really enjoy his first four LPs after that it is hit and miss for me. But in that hit and miss are a few real hits.

 

You bet it is.
I'm not absolutely sure, but I think I own every Dr. John studio album. Many of them, "Babylon" among them, in several different incarnations on vinyl and CD.
"Babylon" is not my favorite Dr. John album, but it's in my top 10. It's essential to me.

 

I have it as part of the Original Album Series release. Strange but interesting album--not quite as strange as what came after or before but interesting.

 

I voted Essential, but I mean Essential if you're a Dr John fan.
Like others have said, it's a weird album, but weird is how I like my Good Doctor.
"Twlight Zone" is IMHO nohting less than a carreer highlight, one of the absolutely trippiest song I've ever heard.

 

Don't have it, but should get it was my vote.

 

Amazing!
I've seen many Dr. John shows and never heard any of those. Seen him once this year (at NO Jazzfest) and it was all from the Satchmo album-- better live, but not really one of his best.

I too miss the Lower 911-- even after Roscoe passed, they had a great lineup with Jon Cleary on additional keys. Won't get into the controversies around Ms. Morrow.